Join us at 9 p.m. EST for an NBA LiveChat. We'll have Ben Golliver and Matt Moore live at American Airlines Center in Dallas as the Heat and Mavericks struggle in what looks to be an epic Game 5 for control of the 2011 NBA Finals before the series shifts back to Miami.

Topics will include:

LeBron!

LeBron!

Dry rub or sauce?

LeBron!

And could DeShawn Stevenson be the first player with a face tattoo to ever win the NBA title?

DALLAS -- The Heat are not going to go into a pivotal (okay, more pivotal than the other pivotal games in the NBA Finals) Game 5 Thursday with the same gameplan they went into Game 3 with. It would be natural to look at a game they lost by a bucket and think they don't need adjustments. But head coach Erik Spoelstra laid out some of the things they planned on doing differently Thursday after shootaround. For starters, Spoelstra followed up on what we wrote about yesterday -- the issue the Heat are having of running up against the clock due to the pressure the Mavericks are putting on the Heat both on the inbounds after a bucket and at mid-court. Spoelstra said the Heat had worked in the last 36 hours on not letting the Mavericks get them into what Mike Miller termed "9-1-1 shots."

"Something we definitely worked on was to get into our offense earlier against their pressure so we have more time to exploit those options," Spoesltra said.

The Heat have constantly run up against the shot clock, with James as primary ball-handler sometimes having to run sets with less than 13 seconds left. In that situation, when the Mavericks shut down the initial set, be it pick-and-roll or otherwise, the Heat are trying to reset and run a second set with less than six seconds. That results in long jumpers, contested shots, and turnovers. Some of that comes down to composure, some of that comes down to execution, but a lot of that comes down to simply creating more time to give themselves outs. It's like poker: Never go in without the best hand if you don't have outs. And against a Dallas defense primed and ready to attack the Heat's best hands in LeBron and Wade, they need those outs.

"We have to have all five guys live," Spoelstra said, "and sometimes a quick pass out of that to exploit it on the weakside. The right thing to do sometimes is to be aggressive and try and get around two guys. We've seen virtually every kind of pick and roll coverage you can see throughout the course of the year. We just need to do it better and more efficiently."

James' struggles with the pick-and-roll largely come from two angles. One, he's largely rollling passively up and out to the high baseline, forcing a jump-pass which is a turnover-probable attempt. Second, while Wade's burst gets him to split the double, James has the added complication of creating contact with the fact that he's the size of a freaking truck. The concern is that this can result in a turnover on an offensive foul if the Mavericks step in and take the contact. James needs to pass quickly out of the double team to burn them for employing it and then his teammates need to knock down shots. On the second, James can't be concerned about it and has to force the officials to make an offensive foul call in Game 5 of the Finals against one of the league's biggest superstars.

The Heat's ability to convert these adjustments will be what determines their success in Game 5. It's more than effort. It's adjustments.

DALLAS --Obviously, it didn't compare to Michael Jordan's "Flu Game," but Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki played very well despite being very sick during Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals on Tuesday night.

Nowitzki battled a 100+ degree temperature and was hacking and wheezing during his post-game press conference. Despite the sickness, Nowitzki finished with a team-high 21 points, 11 rebounds and one assist.

Carlisle said the bumps and bruises wouldn't affect any of his players' availability. "We have a couple of other guys that are banged up. At this point, you play. You have to."

There is one exception: Carlisle said that center Brendan Haywood, who sat out Game 3 and was limited in Game 4 with a right hip flexor injury, will be officially listed as a game-time decision on Thursday night.

As per his custom, Carlisle wouldn't divulge his starting lineup or the members of his active roster until closer to game time.

DALLAS -- It's just a basketball game, really. The Heat are going to go out and try and do the same thing they've tried to do the last 101 games they've played this year: score more points than the other team. It's the same thing Dallas has tried to do the last 102 games. The preparation will be the same, the intensity will likely not be more or less than it was in Game 1, or any of the other games in this classic NBA Finals series.

But man, did it feel like it talking to Dwyane Wade on Thursday after shootaround.

"The time is now," Wade said, "the time is here. We're in Game 5. The popcorn is popping. The movie is starting. I'm excited about this."

It's been a series of dramatics, with every single game coming down to a handful of fourth quarter possessions. Whoever winds up getting more offensive rebounds gets a huge advantage. Whoever winds up creating more turnovers gets a huge advantage. Whoever executes down the stretch wins the game, period. Early in this series it was all about "just another game" and "playing (their) game" from both teams. That wasn't the attitude Thursday from Wade or his head coach. Erik Spoelstra was confident and for a guy who is so often calm as a cucumber, even his energy translated.

"This is what all of us look for," Spoelstra said. "Any competitor, these are the moments you live for and treasure."

It's being talked about as one of the greatest series in NBA Finals history, and with good reason. Despite the absence of the supposed "must haves" in the Lakers and Celtics, despite one of the key figures a seven-foot German offensive juggernaut, despite all the burnout on the Heat coverage, the ratings are monstrous, the games are competitive, the games are intense, the storylines fresh, and the baketball on both sides has been great. It's a war of attrition with huge moments and big shots interspersed. We've had a player play through illness, the best basketball player on the planet vanish in a cloud of terrible play, vintage Dwyane Wade, terrific defense from Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers stepping up, DeShawn Stevenson giving the three-monocle and then running his mouth, Jason Terry running his mouth even more than usual, hard fouls, highlight dunks, and Mark Cuban hasn't even made an appearance. All the drama, all the entertainment, and the basketball has been really good. This may not be the best playoff series of all time, but the Finals don't get better than this.

This is a series rife with tension and intensity, with desperation and a combination of weariness and resolve from both teams. Each team wins after a loss. The momentum is definitely carrying this towards a Game 7. Both teams have won on the opponent's home floor. Both teams have showed they can fend off runs at home.

This series has everything, and with it tied 2-2, starting over in a three-game series, everyone, even the caustic, labored media here in Dallas is on the edge of its seats. The final act of this drama begins tonight in Dallas. Dirk, LeBron, JET, DWade, Bosh, Kidd, UD, Matrix, and a chess match well worthy of the stage.

Miami Heat forward LeBron James says Game 5 of the 2011 NBA Finals is the biggest game of his life. Posted by Ben Golliver.

DALLAS – With the 2011 NBA Finals tied at two games apiece, control of the series is at stake during Game 5 on Thursday night. It goes without saying that Miami Heat forward LeBron James has a lot riding on his performance following a disappointing disappearing act in Game 4.

A superstar at the center of the NBA’s media universe, James regularly pushes back on the media’s overhyping and overanalyzing his every move. On Thursday morning following shootaround, however, James was unusually happy to set his personal stakes at the highest possible level.

“It’s a big game, probably the biggest game of my life,” James said, before stopping to immediately correct himself. “Not probably. It is.”

Compared to his sullen, distant post-game demeanor on Tuesday night, James was relatively loose as he joked with reporters, although he admitted that his mind has been consumed by his 8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 turnovers performance on Tuesday.

On Wednesday night, James said he tried to get away.

“Try to do whatever it takes to help your mind shut down,” James said. “You just try to stay up and watch TV. There’s never anything on TV. I don’t know. Get on the Internet. Read you guys’ columns. Those are fun.”

That crack drew belly laughs from the assembled media given the intensity of the criticism of James online.

“I’ve seen a lot of them,” James added with a wry smile. “They’re pretty good. I appreciate it.”

The media isn't alone in questioning James in the aftermath of the worst playoff game of his ccareer. The Mavericks have been supplying a steady diet of quotes and jabs as well.

Asked again about comments made by Mavericks guard DeShawn Stevenson, who said on Wednesday that James “checked out,” James dodged the issue a bit, but did subtly promise some revenge.

“He has the right to say what he wants to say,” James said. “Just know I’ll be there for 45 minutes on the court tonight. We’ll see what happens.”

Heat forward Chris Bosh confirmed that James "absolutely" hears the criticism. "We hear everything," Bosh said. "We use all of that stuff for motivation. I doubt if anybody will be tired tonight because of that."

Heat guard Dwyane Wade actually thanked the Mavericks for prodding James. "He doesn't need it but it adds fuel to the fire," Wade said. "We appreciate Dallas for that. Even if he had lost focus, he was going to get it back, but we appreciate the words that are coming out of their mouths."

More than the questions and concerns from his critics on the Mavericks and the doubters in the media, James is clearly feeling pressure from within. On Wednesday night, he tweeted, “Now or Never!!”

“That’s just how I was feeling at the time,” James explained. “A personal message to myself. It’s nothing to do with anyone else besides myself. Just in a zone at that point.”

He has no plans to change his approach late in games, where his scoring numbers have taken a major hit against the Mavericks.

“Just do my thing,” James said. “There’s times when you make shots and you don’t make shots. I will be on the court in the fourth quarter like I always am.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra again expressed confidence in James on Thursday morning.

"He knows what to do," Spoelstra said. "I don’t want him to overthink it. He’s a great player. He knows how to be aggressive, and pick his spots in what we do. It has to be a collective effort tonight."

Bosh said James doesn't need any major adjustments. "Just give him the gameplan, maybe a little bit of a motivation speech," Bosh said. "But other than that, he doesn't need to hear anything. He just needs to get this game started."

If James isn't contemplating specific changes – other than being more assertive with the ball in his hands – he is using recent history to help keep him focused.

“I’ve bounced back before,” he said. “I just remember some of the games that I felt like I could play better. I know what I did the next time. I’m a big believer in my abilities. I watch film, I study film, I see the things I could have done better. And I’ve been able to bounce back after that game.”

James pointed specifically to bounce back games in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics and the Eastern Conference finals against the Chicago Bulls.

“I’ve had a few subpar games this postseason,” James admitted. “One in Chicago, one in Boston, just try to bounce back the next game, understand what’s at stake, understand what I need to do to help our team win.”

In a Game 1 loss to Chicago, James had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. In Game 2, he put up 29 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists to lead Miami to a win. In a Game 3 loss to Boston, James had 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. He came back in a Game 4 win with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists.

James disregarded talk that this game could define his legacy – saying that he has heard that before in each of the last few seasons – but it is inarguable that he’s treating this game differently.

“This is what it’s about. This is what we all dream about being in this moment,” James said. “It’s there. We’re looking forward to it, it’s there. That’s what I’ve been dreaming about my whole life.”

Will Game 5 wind up fulfilling that dream? Or will it be another nightmare like Game 4?

DALLAS -- An intense and focused Dwyane Wade said at shootaround Thursday morning before a crucial Game 5 of the NBA Finals that while LeBron James doesn't need the comments coming out of the Mavericks' camp to get his focus back, Wade and the Heat "appreciate" the Mavs saying it anyway.

"(LeBron) doesn't need it, but it adds fuel to the fire. We appreciate Dallas for that. Even if he had lost focus, he was going to get it back, but we appreciate the words that are coming out of their mouths."

Wade definitely exuded a high level of confidence for his superstar teammate Thursday morning, while acknowledging that James gets worse headlines than the rest of the Heat. Wade joked that in the eyes of the media "everything LeBron does is great, he can do no wrong," before rolling his eyes.

"LeBron obviously wants to play better, but it's not always about the scoring aspect. It's just about playing better overall."

James notoriously vanished in Game 4, and his teammates took the bullet for him on Wednesday. On Thursday, James acknowledged that has to "bounce back" in Game 5. Wade, though seemed absolutely confident in the guys he's taking the floor with.

"I look across the locker room and I see the guys I'm coming onto the floor with, I'm way more confident going into a 2-2 game than I've ever been going into a 2-2 game."

It's weird to see the Heat acknowledge the media attention the way he has, but at some level it's unavoidable because of the constant attention. The Heat have to win two more games to finally "shut up" everyone. If they don't, they can look forward to only more of the criticism, particularly on LeBron. On Thursday, Wade seemed to have no intention of allowing that to happen.

After practice on Wednesday, the word from the Mavericks camp is that Nowitzki is solidly on the mend.

"I think he's feeling better," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "He went through the stuff that -- we didn't do any contact things today. There wasn't any real running or banging. But hopefully by tomorrow he'll feel even better."

Nowitzki said he took things easy on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

"I had some soup and had a good meal," Nowitzki said. "Just drank some fluids, drank some tea and just feel a lot better today. I still got a little high temperature, but the fever is basically gone. So that's obviously the main concern always. Anything else, the sniffles or the cough, you don't really care about that as long as the fever is gone."

Carlisle said he did not believe his All-Star forward was contagious.
"I'm not sure it's that kind of a bug," Carlisle said. "He from time to time has sinus things that come up. Those things can present situations where he gets a fever and has difficulty sleeping and does a lot of sniffling and coughing."

Nowitzki said after avoiding physical activity on Wednesday morning that he planned to get in a brief workout Wednesday night.

"[I] just watched film and walked through some stuff," Nowitzi said. "I'll probably come back tonight, get a little sweat for like 30 minutes, at least get the body used to sweating a little bit. And then I'll be ready tomorrow."

"This is the Finals," Marion said. "What’s he going to do stay in bed? Stay home? Don’t play? Or what? This is it. You don’t get here every day. If he can walk, he’s going to play.

"If he has to roll out of bed with a thermometer in his neck and an IV in his arm, he's going to play."

Shawn Marion

During Game 4, Marion sat for virtually the entire fourth quarter for the first time in the Finals. Marion was shown on television with ice wrapped around his left calf and there was some talk during Wednesday's practice that perhaps he wasn't moving totally freely because of the injury.

On Wednesday, Carlisle said Marion sat during the fourth quarter because of a coach's decision. not an injury.

"That was just the way the game was going," Carlisle said. "[Guard] DeShawn [Stevenson] was playing well."

Prior to Game 4, Carlisle had told reporters that he hoped to play Marion fewer minutes. In the first three games of the series, Marion averaged 39.7 minutes per game. In Game 4, he played just 26.

Dallas Mavericks reserve center Brendan Haywood missed Game 3 and was limited in Game 4 due to a right hip flexor injury sustained during Game 2.

Carlisle said Wednesday that Haywood will continue to be listed as day to day.

"He gave it a shot last night," Carlisle said. "It just wasn't quite where it needed to be. A tough situation. But with each day hopefully Mother Nature can help out. And we'll see if we can have him ready for tomorrow."

Haywood laughed and joked around as he participated in shooting drills during the portion of Wednesday's practice that was open to the media.

One Big Thing: LeBron. Game 5 is maybe the most intriguing NBA game in the last 10 years mainly because of LeBron James. How is he going to respond? What's he going to do? Is he going to overplay? Slink back again? Take over? It's just fascinating stuff. And oh yeah, the series is tied 2-2 and the winner of this game moves within a game of an NBA championship.

So basically, if you're not watching, then I'm not sure we can be friends anymore. Game 5 has about as many storylines as any game I can think of, any sport included.

The X-Factor: LeBron. I just went over this, but either LeBron is going to own Game 5 or he won't. And if LeBron plays like we all know he's capable of -- remember, he's the best player in the league -- then the Heat have a big edge. But if LeBron shrinks back into an awkward role playing position, content to just defend, rebound and swing the ball at the top of the key, the Heat have lost their best player and seen him reduced to a glorified Shane Battier.

It's becoming an issue of what LeBron brings. The Heat survived Game 3 with LeBron doing just enough and Wade carrying the load. They won't be able to last through Game 5 with LeBron scoring in single figures. They won't be able to win with him just passing the ball. He has to be a factor and, if he is, he's The X-Factor.

The Adjustment: LeBron has to be more LeBron. (Are you sensing a theme?) That doesn't mean he has to aggressively attack. Here's an interesting stat: The Heat are 15-1 this season in games LeBron takes 11 or fewer field-goal attempts. The first loss, of course, being Game 4. So it's not all about LeBron chucking 25 shots.

But he has to dominate the game. And he can do that while taking just 11 shots. He can create points in a bunch of different ways. It's about him being the LeBron James who has won two MVPs and probably was the best player this season too.

The Sticking Point: This is the last home game of the season for the Mavericks. And if they don't win, it's on to Miami where they have to win back-to-back games on the road. Not impossible, but if Dallas wants a real shot at this championship, it's got to approach Game 5 as a must-win situation.

The Mavs were desperate in Game 4. And really, they'll be the desperate team in Game 5 because it's more important for them than it is the Heat. But again, how does Miami respond? How does LeBron respond? It's why I'm almost counting down the seconds to this game. I can't think of any sporting event that's had this much intrigue since maybe the Giants-Patriots Super Bowl.

You better be watching. Because if not, you might be missing something incredible.